


Gifts In Kind

by missema



Series: Kirkwall Tech [4]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anniversary, Brother-Sister Relationships, F/F, Kirkwall Tech, Kissing, Presents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 17:44:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12562760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: A prompt for an anniversary present between Bethany and Athenril. Bethany frets over what to do for this anniversary, because they aren't really a couple, and looks for advice from her family.





	Gifts In Kind

They weren't even really a couple, so Bethany wasn't sure why she wanted to celebrate an anniversary with Athenril. They had gotten together a year ago, on a slow night where no one bothered them for hours. It had been partly because they had been flirting with each other for weeks, and also because of their mutual enforced boredom that night. It didn't really matter, what mattered was now it was long in the past and they were still together regularly, and Bethany didn't think there was anyone else in Athenril's life -- there certainly wasn't in hers.

She wanted to get a gift, but there was the Hawke family perpetual lack of money to deal with. Her mother had suggested going for a walk, but Bethany didn't think Athenril was the go for a walk type. Sure, she walked places, but that was usually because deliveries in Kirkwall were easier on foot a lot of the time, not because she liked the scenery of the slums. Melissa had simply looked out to the distance as said, "spend time together" but that's all they ever did. Her sister had a skewed view of relationships, since hers were all serially monogamous and long-term. Bethany wasn't sure that her sister had ever had a one-nighter, just a good time for the sake of enjoying another warm body. But that was her problem, Bethany's was trying to find something to do for or with Athenril that hopefully resulting in something more exciting than just going out to dinner. The well-meaning suggestions didn't help as much as she'd hoped they would. 

"You should just go over there. Sometimes the present isn't the important part," Carver told her. They were sitting on the stoop at Gamlen's apartment, desperately bored and too hot to do anything. It felt like summer lasted at least two months longer in Kirkwall than it did in Ferelden.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean what I said," Carver said unhelpfully, shrugging. "You know it's been a year, and maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. Just going over there and saying it, acknowledging what's between you two is significant."

"You sound like you've done this before," Bethany pushed, but Carver just looked away.

"I tried. Sometimes you start to wonder why you tried."

"Oh Carver, don't be like that. Hope is the last thing we should lose, especially here. I know I'm not the best example, but if we don't try, then where will we be?"

He leaned in and rested his head on her shoulder, and for one instant they were back in Lothering, at home, sitting together. They often sat like that, waiting for something, for Melissa to get home, for their mother to stop crying, for night to fall so they could go to bed and let sleep push away the pain of an empty belly.

Bethany closed her eyes and didn't open them again until she felt Carver lift his head and look up. Their uncle was stumbling towards the apartment, in worse shape than usual. The tension in his muscles at the sound of an approaching person faded into resignation and Carver got up.

"I'll get him if you get some bathwater going for him. He looks like he needs it," Carver said with a sigh and walked down the stairs to get their uncle. That was the last they'd talked about it, other matters pressing in on them so she didn't have time to worry about anniversaries and relationships that weren't really defined.

She knew her mother and sister were well meaning, but she couldn't take their advice. Only Carver seemed to truly understand, and it was to him that she listened. Bethany just showed up to the shop. She kissed Athenril without greeting her, pushing her up against the cash wrap, uncaring of who might see.

"Hi," Bethany said after taking a step back. Athenril pulled her back by the hand, smiling up at her.

"Wasn't sure you'd want to remember. I got you something," Athenril said, surprising her.

"I couldn't think of anything," Bethany began, but Athenril shook her head.

"It's not like that," Athenril said and then clarified, "I mean it's a present, but it's not like I bought it. I just held it back because it made me think of you."

That meant she didn't sell it or fence it with the other items in the shipment. She was probably better off not knowing where her gift came from. She didn't want to be rude about this, after all, Bethany really did want to celebrate, but keeping something that was stolen was a sure way to get caught with it and blamed for the theft. It was in a little shopping bag, not wrapped, but set aside.

It was a small jar of honey. Bethany picked it up out of the bag and laughed. One night they'd been offloading cases of honey from a nearby apiary, the peculiar noble that wanted as much honey as the beekeeper could send him. The noble claimed it was for his allergies, but didn't want anyone to know about the oddly large amount he'd ordered, so he ordered it through Athenril. The small jars of local honey had a label had been of several different kinds -- blueberry honey, which was a light amber color, creamed honey, granulated honey, and a dark buckwheat honey that caught the light and shimmered like a liquefied gemstone. At the time, she hadn't had honey since they'd moved to Kirkwall. Her surprise that there were even apiaries around Kirkwall made Athenril laugh at her, but it was a fair conclusion. There weren't even that many flowers or parks in Kirkwall, so how could there be honey?

But she'd remembered, and Bethany, picking up a jar of richly hued buckwheat honey, laughed. She thanked Athenril, and slipped the tiny bear shaped jar into her bag.

"Got time to go for a walk?" Bethany asked Athenril, and nodded out of the window. "The sun's about to set, it might be pretty."

Athenril took a look around, gazing out of the front window of her shop for a moment. "I guess so, if it's short. Got a meeting with a contact in an hour."

Bethany took her hand, let her call for someone else to mind the front of the shop and walked out with her, the last rays of light dancing about her shining black hair as the sun began to set. Athenril looked over and gave her a small smile as they went towards the docks.


End file.
